Nutcracker



April 10, 1928. 1,665,557

J. F. MILLER NUTCRACKER Filed March 22, 1927 JEFF. Miller 9, whom:

Patented Apr. 10, 1928.

UNITED. STATES 1,665,557 PATENT OFFICE.

d'AMES F. MILLER, OF MINDEIT, LOUISIANA.

NU'I'CRAGKER.

Application filed March 22, 1927. serial no. 177,379.

This invention relates to nut crackers, and one object of the invention is to provide a nut cracker which may be firmly secured to a table or other support and project from the support above a bowl or other receptacle placed beneath the device to catch the nuts after being cracked.

Another object of the invention is to so form the nut cracker that an upper arm thereof which engages the upper face of,

the table or other support may also serve as a mounting for a reciprocating aw or plunger and in addition constitute means for.

a great deal of pressure may be exerted upon a nut gripped between the forward end of the plunger and a eo-operating jaw.

Another object of the invention is to provide a nut cracker which will be simple in construction and very strong and durable.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of-an improved nut cracker;

Fig. 2 is avertical. sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 isa perspectiveview of the plunger and pitman forming part of the nut cracker.

The nut crackerdisclosed in the accom panying drawing is. provided with an elongated body portionlformed of metal. and having its forward end portion curved upwardly to provide a jaw 2, the upper end portion of which extends rearwardly a short distance, as shown at 3 and at its end is provided with a recess or seat 4c'adapted to receive a nut to be cracked. A post 5 extends upwardlyfrom the body in spaced re lation to the jaw 2' an'd'at its upper end carries an arm 6 which extendsv rearwardly therefrom in spaced relation to therear por- 7 tion 7 of the body. Adjacent its rear end the body is formed with a-threaded vertically extending passage through which a threaded stem 8 passes, and this stem has its lower end formed with aiturning head 9, by

means of which it may be adjusted and its bearing head 10 moved into tight gripping engagement with the under face of a table or similar support and cause the table to be firmly gripped between the bearing head and upper arm 6 which extends across the upper face of the table. It will thus be seen that the nut cracker may be securely clamped to the table but may be easily released when it is to be removed. I

p A longitudinally extending pocket 12 is formed in the arm 6, and this pocket is rectangular in crosssection, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the plunger 13 which is also rec-' tangular in cross section may slide freely in the pocket but be prevented from havmg' turn ng movement therein: The upper sur-.

face ofthe arm is slotted, as shown in Fig.

1, in order to provide a passage for the link or pitman 14 which is pivoted in a slot formed in the rear end of the plunger by a pin 15 and projects upwardly and rearwardly from the plunger. It should be further noted that the slot provides the side walls'of the pocket with inwardly extending flanges 16 which overlap the upper face of the 'plunger and. prevent the plunger fromhavi'ng upward movement out of its pocket. "At

its forward end the plunger is enlarged to form a head 17, the'forward end face of which is recessed, as shown at 18, to provide a seat disposed in facing relation to the seat 4. Therefore,- the jaw and the plunger may have firm gripping engagement with a nut .placed between them and cause the nut to be very effectively cracked when the plunger is moved forwardly and pressure applied.

I The portion of the body between the aw 2 and the post 5 has its'upper surface 19 beveled sothat it extends toward one side, as shown inFigy2, and thereby provides a surface which will cause cracked nuts released which has'its'free end portion rounded to, {form a hand hold 21 and adjacent its rear end is formed with a longitudinally extending slot 22. The handle extends longitudinally abovethe arm 6 and over the jaw 2 and has its rear end fitted between bearing ears 2?) which project upwardly over the rear end of the arm 6 and pivotally connected. therewith. by a. pin 24; preferably consist-ing of a screw. The upper rear end portion of the pitman 14: fits into the slot 22 of i the handle andis pivotally; mounted through the pin 25 but permits the pitman to be easily adjusted. It will be readily understoodthat, when the nut cracker is in use, the handle is swung upwardly a sufficient distance to move the plunger :rearwar-dly and after a nut hasbeenplaced between'the plunger and jaw the lever or handle moved downwardly in order to slide the plunger [forwardly into engagement with the nut be very easily cracked.

neat-h the nut cracker.

and cause it to he gripped between the plunger and jaw. Additional pressure is then applied to the handle andthe nut will After the nut :has been cracked, the plunger is againmoved reawardly by raisingthe lever and the nut will be released and dropped downwardly into a bowl or other receptacle placed he The distance the plunger moves out of the arm 6 towards the jaw is controlled by disposing the pin 25 in the proper recess 26 and, therefore,

the nutcracker can be used for cracking either large or small nuts.

Having thus described the invention, I claim: 1. A nut crackercomprisinganelongated body, a jaw extending upwardly from said "body, a post extending upwardly fromsaid body in spaced relation-to said jaw, an arm carriedhy and extending rearwardly from theup per end o'f said post, saidarm being formed with a longitudinally extending pocket opening through theforward end i of the arm, the uppergsurface of the arm being formed with a longitudinally extending slot communicating with said pocket, {a plunger slidab'le into and outof said pocket through the open forward end thereof towards and away "from said jaw, a handle pivoted to said ar1n,and a link pivoted to said plunger and extending upwardly through the slot and pivoted to the handle and adapted to body in spaced relation to said jaw, an arm .impart reciprocating movement to said plunger when the handle is moved.

2. {A nutcracker compr1s1ng a body, a aw carried by sa1dbody, a post carrled by'sald extending rearwardly from said post, said arm being formed with a longitudinally extending pocket opening through the forward end of the arm,:the upper surface ofthearm being formed with a longitudinally extending slot communicating with said pocket, a

:plunger slidable intoandout of said pocket *through the open forward endthereof towards and away from said jaw, an operating handle pivotally connected with said arm and formed with a longitudinally extending slot adjacent its pivoted end, and a' link pivoted to said plunger and extending. upwardly through the slot in said arm and pivotally mounted in the slot of said handle. 3. A -nut cracker comprising a body having its rear end portion formed with.

upper and lower longitudinally extending arms and, at its front end formed with-an upstanding jaw havingits upper end portion :liacing the front end of the upper arm and formed with a nut receiving seat, said upper arm being formed with a longitudinally extendingpocket open at its forward end and along its upper portion formed withan en trance slot opening through the upper surface otthe arm, a plunger slidably received in said pocket and having onecnd portion projeeting out of the-open endofithe pocket and formed at its end with a nutreceiving seat, an operating[lever pivoted to the rear end of said upper arm-andextending forwardly above the sa1ne,and a link pivoted to the rear end of said plungerand extending upwardly through the' slotin theupper arm and pivotally connected with said lever adjacent the rear end thereof.

' 45. A nut cracker comprising a body having ajlongitudinally extending arm-and.

atits front end formed with an upstanding jaw h'aving its upper; end portion facing the front end of the arm,-said upper arm being formed with a longitudinally extending pocket opening through the ,forward end and alongthe uppergsurface of the arm, the

pocket being non-circular in cross section and hzu ingitsside walls formed with inwardly extending flanges along its open upper portionya plunger slidable into and out of the pocket through its open "end-,said V plunger conforming in cross SGCtlOllftO the contour-of the pocket and having its upper suiface overlapped {by said flanges, an operating handle pivoted at its *rear-end to the arm and extending forwardly above the same, said handle having a longitudinally extending slot in its rear end portion, 'apln carried by SitltlhitIlCllB and extending across 1ts slot,'and a llnk pivoted to the inner-end of said plunger and extending upwardly and rearwardly therefrom ]between the 'flanges of said arm andihaving its rear end disposedin the slot of said handle and formed with vertically lspaced recesses through a selected one of which said pin passes'to pivotally connect thelink with the fhandle.

In testimony whereof I-afiix-rny signature.

' JAMES-F. MILLER. Ins] 

